On the Summer Plenum of the Central Committee of the Workers Party of Korea
From June 28 to July 1, 2024, the DPRK held “extended session of the 10th Plenary Meeting of the Eighth Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea, contributing to the successful implementation of the priorities and all tasks of the Party and state policy for 2024.” The plenary meeting summarized the results of work for the first half of the year and discussed “a number of next important issues in the continued rise of the phase of comprehensive rejuvenation of socialism in line with the Korean model.”
Possible consequences and prospects of Vladimir Putin’s visit to DPRK
The consequences of the visit of the Russian leader to North Korea and the documents signed there are so significant that they can propel the trend of global turbulence. How have Seoul, Beijing and Washington reacted to such a rapprochement between Moscow and Pyongyang and what will be Moscow’s response to the steps taken by Seoul and its allies?
Some comments on recent developments in East Asia
The visits of Russian President Vladimir Putin to the North Korea and Vietnam from June 18 to 20 were a remarkable development not only in relations between the countries, but also in terms of their assessments of how the political situation in East Asian as a whole is developing. As a result of the talks between Vladimir Putin and the North Korean and Vietnamese leaders, an extensive list of measures was drawn up and enshrined in bilateral documents…
Highlights of Vladimir Putin’s visit to DPRK
On June 18-19, 2024, Russian President Vladimir Putin visit North Korea at the invitation of Supreme Leader and friend Kim Jong Un. The visit was a landmark event not only for bilateral relations, but perhaps even for the entire existing security architecture…
A chronicle of inter-Korean tensions in spring 2024. Part One: Actions of the South
The scale of regional tensions has eased somewhat since the end of the joint US-South Korean exercise on March 14, 2024. Both sides made bellicose statements, the South Koreans continued to conduct field training exercises both on their own and with the US, and the North Korean leadership occasionally launched missiles…
A myth of anti-Pyongyang propaganda
We hear all kinds of horror stories about North Korea in the media. Many of the negative stories about the DPRK are myths and exaggerations that have nothing to do with reality. Over the course of a month or two, using reliable sources and personal impressions, the author had to refute a number of common elements of anti-North Korean propaganda based on a certain image of an “evil state”…
Some comments on the detention of an American serviceman in Vladivostok
In early May 2024, the media reported that a US Army sergeant had been detained in Vladivostok. This incident inspired a number of conspiracy theories, many of which sought to draw parallels with the attempted defection of a US private to the DPRK six months ago. But in reality the two incidents are very different…
The sanctions regime against the DPRK under threat
On March 28, 2024, Russia vetoed the extension of the mandate of the UN panel of experts to monitor the sanctions against the DPRK until April 30, 2025. This is important, because according to the established procedure, the decision to extend the term of office of the so-called 1718 Sanctions Committee must be made by April 30, otherwise it will be unable to continue with its activities…
The truth about the sinking of the Cheonan corvette - still a mystery under Yoon Suk-yeol, just as it was under Moon Jae-in
In late March 2024, South Korea marked the 10th anniversary of the sinking of the ROKS Cheonan corvette near the western maritime boundary between North and South Korea. The March 26, 2010 tragedy claimed the lives of 46 out of the 104 sailors on board and was also politically significant, as it changed the course of relations between the two Koreas. After some deliberation the south Korean authorities announced that the corvette was sunk by a North Korean stealth midget submarine. This announcement triggered a further deterioration…
Dialog between Pyongyang and Tokyo? Another failure!
Japan and North Korea do not currently have any diplomatic relations, but Tokyo periodically tries to gain political capital by attempting to establish a dialog with Pyongyang. The most successful such attempt occurred in 2002, when, in a meeting with Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, DPRK leader Kim Jong Il admitted that 13 Japanese citizens had been abducted by North Korea’s intelligence services…
“Freedom Shield” and Other Events of February-March 2024. Part Three: The North Is Keeping Up
Contrary to the anticipation of anti-Pyongyang propaganda discussed in the previous part of this digest, there have been no direct provocations, including in the area of the disputed maritime border. Instead, the North conducted its own exercise and criticized the enemy’s. Already on the day the exercise began, March 4, a DPRK Ministry of Defense spokesman issued a press statement. “The frantic war drills by the ROK puppets and vassal forces led by the US make…
“Freedom Shield” and Other Events of February-March 2024. Part One: Is The Border Under Attack?
On February 10, 2024, the Lunar New Year holiday, Yoon Suk-yeol visited the Second Marine Corps Division in Gimpo, inspected the Cheonmoo multiple rocket launcher system, and urged troops to be prepared for any North Korean provocations. “If the enemy provokes, you have to sternly and overwhelmingly respond under the principle of ‘act first, report later’ to completely crush the enemy’s will.”…